It was reported last month that the next generation Honda
Accord would forgo its slow-selling and poor-performing Accord Hybrid with a
diesel variant. The oil-burning Honda Accord will feature a 2.2 liter i-CTDi Tier
2 Bin 5 diesel engine along with an ammonia-filled catalytic converter to
reduce NOx emissions.

Honda is also poised to make a new 3.5 liter V6 diesel
engine available for its larger vehicles including the Odyssey minivan, Pilot
mid-sized SUV and the Ridgeline mid-sized pickup truck. The new Tier 2 Bin 5
diesel will first be available in 2010 according to the Japanese
Nikkei newspaper.

The engine is said to be 30 percent more fuel efficient than
Honda's current 3.5 liter V6 gasoline engine (rated at 17/24, 15/20 and 15/20 respectively
in the Odyssey, Pilot and Ridgeline based on 2008 EPA estimates). The new motor
is also said to produce 20 percent less carbon dioxide as the 3.5 liter V6 gasoline
engine.